2nd June 2015

>>Hemant Sonawala, one of the founders of the country's IT industry and chairman of Hinditron Group, passed away on May 30 at the age of 78. 

• Sonawala was one of the founders of the domestic IT industry, having started Hinditron way back in 1966 and its computer division in 1971. 

• He was also the founder of Digital Equipment India, which later became a part of HP India in 1988. 

• Digital Equipment India was the first technology IPO in India. 

>>The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Meena Hemchandra as the executive director who would be in charge of department of banking supervision. She will also be in charge of department of non-banking supervision and department of co-operative banking supervision.

• RBI's executive director Chandan Sinha, who was incharge of these departments will now be in charge of department of information technology, department of payment and settlement system, foreign exchange department and  .. 

• RBI has 11 executive director in charge of various departments. 

>>Bangladesh is set to honour former premier Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his outstanding support for the country’s independence from Pakistan in 1971 when he was a Lok sabha member.

• A Foreign Ministry spokesman familiar with the process said Bangladesh will hand over Vajpayee’s “Friends of Bangladesh Liberation War Award” to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his upcoming visit to the country from June 6.

• Vajpayee, who is unwell, could not visit Bangladesh to receive the honour.

• “From the very beginning of the Liberation War (in 1971), he (Vajpayee) took a firm stand in favour of Bangladesh’s independence… as the then president of Bharatiya Jana Sangh and Lok Sabha member he mobilised campaign at home and in international arena for the rights of Bangladesh’s people.

•  Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also approved a proposal to honour the families of the members of Indian armed forces for sacrificing their lives for the cause of Bangladesh’s independence.

• Most of the subsequent recipients were also from India which extended the most crucial support for Bangladesh’s independence with incumbent President Pranab Mukherjee being one of them. Bangladesh decided to honour the 1971 “foreign friends” soon after the ruling Awami League was elected to power in 2008.

>>India and Sweden on Monday inked six agreements, including in the field of polar research and for boosting trade, during the visit of President Pranab Mukherjee to the key Arctic Council member, in the first-ever visit by an Indian head of state.

• Mukherjee is on a five-day visit to Sweden and Belarus.
• The president, who began his visit May 31, will be in Sweden till to June 2, and in Belarus June 2-4.
• Among the agreements inked is a MoU on Cooperation in Sustainable Urban Development, which includes dialogue and interaction on global sustainable urban development issues, exchange of knowledge, institutional cooperation including capacity building, research and development and commercial relations regarding sustainable urban development.
• Both sides also inked a MoU for cooperation in the field of micro, small and medium enterprises. This aims at promoting partnership projects, institution to institution and enterprise to enterprise cooperation relating to MSMEs, encourage exchange of information and experiences in policy setting and research on the development of MSMEs, feasibility studies to identify thrust areas and opportunities for development of MSMEs and facilitating exchange of business mission.
• Both also inked an agreement on Visa Exemption for diplomatic passports.
• A letter of intent was also signed between India`s Earth System Science Organisation (ESSO) and the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat (SPRS) on collaboration in polar and ocean research.
• Both inked a memorandum of intent between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare (FORTE) for recording the intention of both institutions to cooperate in the field of ageing research and health.
• Another MoI was signed between India`s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and the Swedish Medical Products Agency (MPA). This agreement, complimentary to the ongoing cooperation between India and Sweden covering the area of health, is for increasing bilateral cooperation in the fields of pharmacovigilance, electronic submissions in related matter, clinical trials, drugs, medical devices and diagnostic kits, cosmetic and hygiene products and for exchange of information and experiences regarding good manufacturing practice.

>>The Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) has claimed two lives in South Korea and infected 25 people in two weeks, according to media reports.

• The World Health Organization (WHO) puts the total number of global MERS cases at 1,161 with at least 436 related deaths. WHO, however, has not recommended travel or trade restrictions on South Korea.
• MERS is caused by a coronavirus from the same family as the one that triggered the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Though the health agency assures that there has been no human-to-human spread of the virus in South Korea.

• According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, South Korea has reported the third-highest number of MERS cases after Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
• It can be transmitted from infected person to others after close contact via a respiratory route. It spread’s in droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
• The symptoms of MERS are fever, breathing problems, pneumonia and kidney failure.

• However, MERS has a much higher death rate than SARS and there is no cure or vaccine at present.

Precautionary measures in place

• Schools have been reportedly shut down for a week as a precautionary measure across the country while automobile giant Hyundai has urged its employees to avoid travelling to the Middle East.
• Tourists, particularly from China, have cancelled their travel plans to South Korea. China also reported its first MERS case last week.
• MERS was first identified in human beings in 2012. As per WHO data, the death rate from MERS has been 38 per cent. Compared to this, the death rate from SARS was 9-12 per cent, according to the US National Library of Medicine.

>> The government of Mauritius today designated Ameenah Gurib-Fakim as the Indian Ocean Island nation's new president, making her the first woman to hold the ceremonial position.

• The appointment of Gurib-Fakim, an internationally-renowned scientist and biologist, is subject to parliament approval, due to take place on Thursday.

• The opposition has said it will support her appointment, making the vote a mere formality.
• Gurib-Fakim, 56, will be the first female President of the Island, which gained independence from Britain in 1968 and which replaced Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state in 1992.

• Former President Kailash Purryag, who had been put in place by the previous government, stepped down as the island's figurehead on Friday.

• Mauritius is one of the richest, and least corrupt, countries in Africa, a middle-income country of some 1.3 million people with a per capita GDP of just over $9,000 (7,200 euros).

• Once dependent on sugar exports, the island has built up a strong outsourcing and financial services sector, and an important tourism industry.

>> Rear Admiral Philipose G Pynumootil was appointed as the Assistant Chief of Naval staff (Air). Earlier to this appointment, Pynumootil served as the Principal Director of Aircraft Acquisition.

• Being a Flag officer, he has commanded the Guided Missile Frigate INS Brahmaputra, INS Nashak, the missile corvette INS Kirpan and the 1241 RE corvette. He has flown broadly during Operation Restore Hope, Somalia and Operation Pawan, Sri Lanka.